AI-assisted summary
• The AFC North, AFC South and NFC North could all have new leaders by Sunday night.
• The New England Patriots and Chicago Bears currently hold the top seeds in the AFC and NFC playoff pictures, respectively.
• Several teams, including the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions, remain in the hunt for a postseason berth with a few weeks left in the regular season.

Every week for the duration of the 2025 regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide timely updates to the NFL’s ever-evolving playoff picture − typically starting Sunday afternoon and then moving forward for the remainder of the week (through Monday’s and Thursday’s games or Saturday’s, if applicable. And, when the holidays roll around, we’ll be watching then, too).

What just happened? What does it mean? What are the pertinent factors (and, perhaps, tiebreakers) prominently in play as each conference’s seven-team bracket begins to crystallize? All will be explained and analyzed up to the point when the postseason field is finalized on Sunday, Jan. 4.

Here’s where things stand with Week 14 underway:

AFC playoff picture

1. New England Patriots (11-2), AFC East leaders: The first team in the league to 11 wins thanks to Monday night’s rollover of the Giants, the Pats are in a very tight race with Denver, the teams’ airtight tiebreakers set to take effect once the Broncos play their 13th game Sunday. Remaining schedule: BYE, vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins

2. Denver Broncos (10-2), AFC West leaders: Beat Las Vegas on Sunday, and the Broncos will overtake the Patriots by virtue of a conference record (7-2) that would be a half-game better. Remaining schedule: at Raiders, vs. Packers, vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs, vs. Chargers

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4), AFC South leaders: Their Week 13 win in Nashville coupled with Indy’s loss moved the Jags into first place by virtue of the common-games played tiebreaker, which they own by a one-win advantage. Beat the Colts on Sunday, Jacksonville takes over first place outright. Slide back later, and victories over the Chiefs and Chargers could serve them well when it’s time to sort out tiebreakers. Remaining schedule: vs. Colts, vs. Jets, at Broncos, vs. Colts, at Titans

4. Baltimore Ravens (6-6), AFC North leaders: A sloppy performance against the Bengals on Thanksgiving briefly cost them first place in the division and a slot in the projected playoff field − but Pittsburgh’s Week 13 loss conferred it back, the Ravens currently with one additional win over the Steelers in the common-games tiebreaker. That won’t matter Sunday when the teams meet in Baltimore. Remaining schedule: vs. Steelers, at Bengals, vs. Patriots, at Packers, at Steelers

5. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4), wild card No. 1: Their 7-2 record in AFC games currently renders them the top-seeded wild card, taking precedence in a three-way tiebreaker. But that could be out the window by Monday night depending on what happens elsewhere − especially since both the Colts and Jags have beaten LA. Remaining schedule: vs. Eagles, at Chiefs, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, at Broncos

6. Indianapolis Colts (8-4), wild card No. 2: They’ve dropped three of their past four to fall off the conference pace … and have now ceded first place in the AFC South to Jacksonville after Week 13’s loss to Houston. But win in Duval County, and the Colts go back on top of the division. Still, the schedule doesn’t let up the rest of the way out. Remaining schedule: at Jaguars, at Seahawks, vs. 49ers, vs. Jaguars, at Texans

7. Buffalo Bills (8-4), wild card No. 3: A 5-3 record in conference games currently leaves Buffalo behind the Chargers and Colts in the wild-card seeding Huge game Sunday with Cincinnati, one that jeopardizes Buffalo’s current wild-card standing. Remaining schedule: vs. Bengals, at Patriots, at Browns, vs. Eagles, vs. Jets

8. Houston Texans (7-5), in the hunt: They’ve won five of six, including four in a row. If they want to win the AFC South for a third straight year, the Texans likely need to sweep the Colts − and they took their first step toward that with Sunday’s win − while continuing their surge. Win in Kansas City on Sunday night, and Houston moves into a wild-card slot. Remaining schedule: at Chiefs, vs. Cardinals, vs. Raiders, at Chargers, vs. Colts

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6), in the hunt: They’re virtually tied with the Ravens … but won’t be after this weekend’s trip to Baltimore. A 5-3 record in AFC games does slot the Steelers ahead of K.C. (3-4) for now. Remaining schedule: at Ravens, vs. Dolphins, at Lions, at Browns, vs. Ravens

10. Kansas City Chiefs (6-6), in the hunt: Not only will they almost certainly not win the AFC West for the first time since 2015, they could miss the postseason for the first time since 2014 − Andy Reid’s second year in K.C. And don’t forget they’ve lost to the Broncos, Chargers, Bills and Jags, who are all ahead of them. If the Texans also secure a head-to-head win, K.C. is virtually cooked. Remaining schedule: vs. Texans, vs. Chargers, at Titans, vs. Broncos, at Raiders

11. Miami Dolphins (5-7), in the hunt: They probably need to win the remainder of their games to even have a shot at postseason qualification. Remaining schedule: at Jets, at Steelers, vs. Bengals, vs. Buccaneers, at Patriots

12. Cincinnati Bengals (4-8), in the hunt: They probably need to win the remainder of their games to even have a shot at postseason qualification … though they have a better one than Miami by virtue of living in this year’s surprisingly subpar AFC North. Remaining schedule: at Bills, vs. Ravens, at Dolphins, vs. Cardinals, vs. Browns

NFC playoff picture

1. Chicago Bears (9-3), NFC North leaders: With back-to-back victories over winning adversaries − in conjunction with the Rams’ stunning Week 13 loss at Carolina − the Bears have now rocketed to the top of the conference. Chicago’s 6-2 record in NFC games sends L.A. (4-3) down a spot. But first place in the division and perhaps conference will be on the line Sunday at Lambeau Field. Remaining schedule: at Packers, vs. Browns, vs. Packers, at 49ers, vs. Lions

2. Los Angeles Rams (9-3), NFC West leaders: The Panthers snapped their NFC-high six-game winning streak in rainy Charlotte, a loss that dropped L.A. out of the conference’s top spot. But the Rams can reclaim it this weekend with a win at Arizona and some help. Remaining schedule: at Cardinals, vs. Lions, at Seahawks, at Falcons, vs. Cardinals

3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-4), NFC East leaders: Two losses in a row not only mean a lot more scrutiny but − beware − a team that could still fall into the Cowboys’ clutches in the division if it’s not careful. Remaining schedule: at Chargers, vs. Raiders, at Commanders, at Bills, vs. Commanders

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5), NFC South leaders: They narrowly beat Arizona last weekend to narrowly maintain their half-game lead over Carolina in the division. But the schedule is awfully forgiving the rest of the way aside from two meetings with those currently idle Panthers. Remaining schedule: vs. Saints, vs. Falcons, at Panthers, at Dolphins, vs. Panthers

5. Seattle Seahawks (9-3), wild card No. 1: All three of the ‘Hawks’ losses are against NFC opponents, including two in the division − defeats that won’t serve them well in the tiebreaker department. Long trip this weekend in what’s likely a bid to maintain their position. Remaining schedule: at Falcons, vs. Colts, vs. Rams, at Panthers, at 49ers

6. Green Bay Packers (8-3-1), wild card No. 2: They merely maintained their standing (for now) with their Thanksgiving win at Detroit. A thin margin for the Pack to be sure … yet they remain just a half-game off the NFC North lead, too − and can rise to the top by beating Chicago on Sunday. Remaining schedule: vs. Bears, at Broncos, at Bears, vs. Ravens, at Vikings

7. San Francisco 49ers (9-4), wild card No. 3: They still have a one-game lead on Detroit, yet are only a half-game behind the Rams and Seahawks for the NFC West lead. Off this weekend, the Niners are in no danger of vacating the field. Remaining schedule: BYE, vs. Titans, at Colts, vs. Bears, vs. Seahawks

8. Detroit Lions (8-5), in the hunt: Huge win over Dallas on Thursday night. It brought the Lions within a game of the NFC’s final wild card and should help them in the division standings given either the Packers or Bears will lose Sunday. Remaining schedule: at Rams, vs. Steelers, at Vikings, at Bears

9. Carolina Panthers (7-6), in the hunt: The upset of the Rams reaffirmed the Panthers as an outfit to be reckoned with, though they didn’t gain any ground in the wild-card or divisional races. Though Carolina is off this week, it would move atop the NFC South if the Bucs lose to New Orleans. Remaining schedule: BYE, at Saints, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Seahawks, at Buccaneers

10. Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1), in the hunt: Crippling loss Thursday in Motown. Dallas’ best bet now is probably to hope the Eagles continue to struggle and leave the NFC East in play. Remaining schedule: vs. Vikings, vs. Chargers, at Commanders, at Giants

NFL teams eliminated from playoff contention in 2025

Shedeur Sanders makes his third NFL start today for the Cleveland Browns (3-9).

The fifth-round pick has slightly improved since being thrust under center in Week 11 due to an injury to fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.

Sanders earned a win in his first NFL start against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12 but his second saw the Browns lose 26-8 to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13.

Cleveland has the most receptions by rookies (109 catches) in the NFL this season, so Sanders is just one aspect of the youth movement happening in The Land.

On the opposing sideline in Week 14 is the No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward for the Tennessee Titans (1-11). Today will be the 13th start for the Titans’ rookie, who has totaled 2,351 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns, and six interceptions.

The Titans’ defense has allowed 7.7 yards per pass, the fourth-most in the NFL. Tennessee has also allowed the fourth-highest average QBR in the league. Sanders has an opportunity to earn a win over the No. 1 pick and perform against a defense that has struggled in 2025.

USA TODAY Sports will track Sanders’ third NFL start vs. the Titans. Below are his stats and highlights from the game, as well as an analysis of his performance and more.

Deion Sanders in attendance for Browns vs. Titans

Sanders was able to watch his son make his first start in Week 12, when the Browns traveled to Las Vegas to face the Raiders. Now, the Colorado coach will be in Cleveland as his son looks to lead the Browns to a win over the Titans.

The two shared a moment together on the field before the game:

How to watch Shedeur Sanders today: Browns vs. Titans

• TV channel: FOX

The Titans and Browns Week 14 matchup will air on FOX.

What time do the Browns play today?

• Start time: 1 p.m. ET | 10 a.m. PT

The Titans and Browns are one of several games in the early afternoon window.

Browns vs Titans live stream

• Live stream:Fubo | NFL+

Cord-cutters have a few options to watch Shedeur Sanders play today. Fubo carries CBS, Fox, ABC, ESPN and the NFL Networks, and also offers a free trial.

NFL+ and Fubo will also carry the game.

Watch NFL action all season with Fubo (free trial)

Shedeur Sanders stats

Through three appearances this season – one off the bench and two starts – here’s how Sanders has performed:

• 31/61 passing (41.7% completion rate)
• 405 passing yards
• 2 passing touchdowns
• 2 interceptions
• 5 rushing attempts
• 21 rushing yards
• 0 rushing touchdowns
• 69.4 passer rating

ABU DHABI, Dec 7 (Reuters) – McLaren’s Lando Norris sobbed tears of joy and relief as he won the Formula One championship for the first time and ended Max Verstappen’s four-year reign with a nervy third place at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday.

Red Bull’s Verstappen, who ended the campaign with more wins (eight) than any driver, triumphed in the season-ender with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri second and 12.5 seconds behind at the chequered flag.

Norris, Britain’s 11th Formula One world champion, took his points tally to 423 with Verstappen on 421 and Piastri third with 410.

McLaren, who secured the constructors’ championship in October for the second year in a row, won both titles in the same season for the first time since 1998.

‘I’ve not cried in a while. I didn’t think I would cry but I did,’ said an emotional Norris in a post-race interview, after also shedding tears inside his helmet.

‘It feels amazing. I now know what Max feels like a little bit.

‘I want to congratulate Max and Oscar, my two biggest competitors the whole season. It’s been a pleasure to race against both of them. It’s been an honour, I’ve learned a lot from both,’ he added.

Norris’s mother Cisca gave Piastri a consoling hug while both Verstappen and the Australian congratulated the new champion in a show of sportsmanship.

The victory denied Verstappen the achievement of five titles in a row, something only Ferrari great Michael Schumacher has managed so far.

Charles Leclerc finished fourth in Sunday’s race for Ferrari with George Russell fifth for Mercedes and Fernando Alonso sixth for Aston Martin.

Esteban Ocon was seventh for Haas, ahead of Ferrari’s seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton — who failed to stand on the podium all year in a career low for the 40-year-old who joined the Italian team this year from Mercedes.

Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg was ninth in the German’s 250th race and Lance Stroll 10th for Aston Martin.

With five games to go in the regular season, Garrett’s well surpassed his best career single-season sack mark. His previous best was 16.0 sacks in 2021 and 2022; he matched that in 11 games this season.

His career-high mark is now well behind him. The next target is the NFL’s single-season sack record.

Garrett and the Cleveland Browns’ stout defense host the 1-11 Tennessee Titans in Week 14. Tennessee’s offensive line has given up more sacks (48) than any other team in the league this season; it’d be hard to find a better matchup for Garrett to tee off in once again.

The former No. 1 overall pick powers a defense that leads the league in ESPN’s pass rush and run stop win rates. Sunday afternoon in Cleveland could be a historic one. Garrett’s had more than one sack in five of the Browns’ 12 games this season.

Could he break the single-season sack record this weekend? Here’s how many he needs and how likely he is to get it.

How many sacks does Myles Garrett need to break the record?

Garrett sits at 19.0 sacks this season entering Week 14. The current record is 22.5 sacks held by two players: T.J. Watt, who hit that mark in 2021, and Michael Strahan, who reached it in 2001.

Garrett needs 3.5 sacks to equal Watt and Strahan’s record. Considering his current pace, that feels like an eventuality. He’s had more sacks than that in two games alone this year and could break it by averaging less than a sack per game for the rest of the regular season.

Can Myles Garrett break the sack record against Tennessee?

Tennessee is allowing an average of four sacks per game this year to opposing defenses. If Garrett gets that many by himself, he’d break the sack record.

Tennessee’s divisional foe, Houston, may be a good matchup to study for this case. The Texans’ pass rushing duo of Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. is the scariest tandem in the league. In two games against Houston, Tennessee gave up six sacks.

Garrett will need to have another special day in a season full of them to get the sack record against Tennessee. But it is absolutely a possibility for the four-time All-Pro.

INDIANAPOLIS — The noise is exhausting. A mudslide into the deep, dark depths of strength of schedule and head-to-head feeding the daily disarray.

Now breathe, if just long enough to enjoy the college football story of the century.

‘It’s like a dream, a wonderful dream,’ said Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

That keeps getting better ― and isn’t ending any time soon.

Take a break from complaining about the College Football Playoff. Forget about Notre Dame and Miami and Alabama and every other blueblood trying to justify CFP flaws.   

It sounds utterly preposterous to even say it.

“For any of those Indiana doubters out there,” said Indiana linebacker Isaiah Jones, “this was the last thing that needed to be proven.”

And wouldn’t you know it, in the biggest moment of this two-year metamorphosis, the No. 2 Hoosiers left no doubt with a punishing 13-10 victory over defending national champion and No. 1 Ohio State in Saturday night’s Big Ten championship game.

A win so complete and so program-defining, the enormity of the moment will reverberate throughout the sport. It wasn’t just the win, but how it underscored the unthinkable reality that the worst program in the history of the sport has completely changed course in a matter of two seasons. 

Indiana hadn’t beaten Ohio State since 1988 — a span of 32 straight games without a win (one game was a tie) — and then did so with everything on the line: an unbeaten regular season, the conference championship, the No. 1 seed in the CFP, and the Heisman Trophy.

And one more thing: Indiana will play in the Rose Bowl — after a first round bye — in the quarterfinals of the CFP. The Hoosiers haven’t experienced the ‘Granddaddy’ since 1968, when O.J. Simpson led USC to a 14-3 win. 

That’s how long this program has been in the college football hinterlands, how long Indiana football has been an opportunity for students to party in a half-empty stadium and alums to pass the time before basketball season.

“It’s another step we needed to take as a program,” said Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, and wouldn’t you know it, the architect of this improbable turnaround isn’t done yet. 

The coach who sat at his introductory press conference in 2024 and declared, ‘I win, Google me,’ who spent his first season at IU saying the outlandish and outrageous because the program needed traction, who has won 24 of his first 26 games and continues to set school records with every game played, knows there’s more on the horizon. 

The quarterfinals in the Rose Bowl. The semifinals in the Fiesta Bowl. The national championship game in Miami. 

The national flipping championship game. My god, what world are we living in? 

A world where Indiana has the best quarterback in college football, where Mendoza left Cal and had offers from Georgia and Miami. And chose Cignetti and the Hoosiers.

“Because he wins, and because he would make me a better player,” Mendoza said. 

That was Mendoza throwing a perfect back shoulder 50-50 ball to Elijah Sarratt for IU’s only touchdown and the eventual game-winning points, and a dime of a deep ball to Charlie Becker in the fourth quarter to effectively seal the victory.

“I looked up, and it was there,” Becker said. “An unreal throw.”

It’s a world where the best defense in college football is in Bloomington. Holy Bobby Knight, defense at Indiana. 

Long ago, Hoosiers coach Lee Corso called a timeout against Ohio State in the first quarter of a game while leading 7-0. Told the team to get on the field so they could take a team picture. 

Then lost the game 49-7.

This time around, Indiana held Ohio State’s high-powered offense — which boasts not one, but two Heisman candidates in quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith — to 322 yards. The defense had five sacks, nine tackles for loss and an interception, and harassed Sayin all night.

Indiana has given up 60 points in its last six games, and gave up 55 points in the four biggest games of the season (Illinois, Iowa, Oregon, Ohio State). 

“We tell each other all the time, if they don’t score, we win,” said IU linebacker Rolijah Hardy, who knocked away a fourth down pass in the Indiana end zone late in the fourth quarter with the Hoosiers protecting a precarious three-point lead. “They weren’t scoring there. No way.”

It’s a world where Cignetti arrived at Indiana, and knew the roster had to be turned over. He didn’t brag about bringing Gucci, he just brought a core of players who previously turned around James Madison — then added more from the transfer portal.

He won 11 games in 2024, and got the largest alumni base in the nation (800,000-plus strong) engaged and invested, and suddenly the NIL money started flowing. And the next thing you know, Indiana has an elite quarterback. 

Then it beats Illinois by 53, gets a major road win at Oregon and sets up the biggest game in school history by routing rival Purdue by 53 points. Moments after that game last week, Cignetti walked into the cramped locker room at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana, and said they made too many mistakes. 

You’re not getting away with playing like that the rest of the way.      

“Coach Cig preaches to us over and over, just be the best version of yourself,” said IU linebacker Aiden Fisher. “That’s why this team rises to the occasion in big situations.”

Long after the celebration in front of a packed house at Lucas Oil Stadium, after Indiana won its first Big Ten championship in nearly 60 years, John Mellencamp’s ‘Small Town’ blared throughout the place. 

“I’ve seen it all in a small town, had myself a ball in a small town…”  

Mendoza ran off the stage in the middle of the field, and eventually found his way to the bowels of the stadium outside the Indiana locker room. There a large but quaint crowd of 20 or so Mendozas who made the trip from Miami, celebrated like they never have. 

There, in the middle of the celebration in a wheelchair, was Mendoza’s mother, Elsa, who is battling multiple sclerosis. Fernando Mendoza leaned in, his bloody arms wrapped around his mother, and whispered in her ear. 

They hugged and cried and smiled and laughed. 

Elsa watched her son take a big hit on the game’s first play, and lay motionless on the turf for 20 seconds before slowly walking off the field. He came back one play later, and directed the greatest win for the worst program in college football no more.

“The community in Bloomington, how long they’ve waited for this,” Mendoza said. “My Mom and my family making the long trip from Miami. It just meant the world to me.”

The story of the century. 

And it’s not over yet. 

AI-assisted summary
• Alabama’s loss opens a possible at-large playoff spot for Miami, depending on the selection committee’s decision.
• Texas Tech secured a top-four seed and a first-round bye after beating BYU for its first Big 12 title.
• Tulane is set to receive the Group of Five’s guaranteed playoff berth after winning the American Athletic Conference.

No. 10 Alabama never sniffed No. 3 Georgia in a 28-7 SEC championship game loss that could drop the Crimson Tide out of the College Football Playoff on the last day of the regular season.

That they rose one spot in the penultimate playoff rankings, swapping spots with No. 9 Notre Dame, suggested the Tide had the wiggle room to lose to Georgia and still make the tournament.

Part of that optimism stemmed from Alabama’s head-to-head win in late September. But there was a window of opportunity for Miami, ranked No. 12 in the playoff, that hinged on Alabama getting demonstrably outplayed by Georgia — and that’s exactly what happened.

Now the selection committee could be forced to make an incredibly difficult decision for the last at-large spot between Alabama and Miami.

There was last-minute chaos in the ACC, where five-loss Duke beat No. 16 Virginia 27-20 in overtime. Now that James Madison has completed a one-loss regular season with a Sun Belt crown, a Duke win could result in the ACC being left out of the 12-team field should Miami lose the at-large debate with the Crimson Tide.

And a heavyweight battle in the Big Ten ended with No. 2 Indiana beating No. 1 Ohio State 13-10 to secure the top overall seed in the playoff.

With just those two games left in the regular season, here are the winners and losers from conference championship weekend:

Winners

Indiana

Claiming the program’s first Big Ten title since 1967 meant beating the No. 1 team in the country, answering the question used to dismiss the Hoosiers for the past two years: Who have they played? Unlike last season, Indiana will surge into the playoff as one of the top contenders for the national championship and an intimidating matchup for any possible opponent. They’ll also be No. 1 in the US LBM Coaches Poll for the first time. At this point, there’s really nothing left to be said about the work Curt Cignetti has done transforming one of the weakest programs in the Power Four into a powerhouse. Meanwhile, quarterback Fernando Mendoza should have a firm hold on the Heisman Trophy after throwing for 222 yards and a score.

Duke

Winning the program’s first outright ACC championship since 1962 is cause for major celebration. An up-and-down ride to Saturday night included several impressive wins but even more impressive losses, to teams such as Tulane, Illinois, Georgia Tech and even Virginia less a month ago. There was always a feeling the Blue Devils were outperforming their record even as teams such as the Cavaliers, SMU and others drew far more national attention. But this memorable day for Duke is bad news for the ACC, as we’ll discuss.

Georgia

Georgia won the SEC for the second year in a row and looks like the league’s best shot at the national championship. Continuing a trend that began more than a month ago, the Bulldogs’ defense clamped down on the Crimson Tide and helped carry the load for an offense that failed to crack 300 yards for the second game in a row. Georgia will be the No. 2 seed in the final playoff rankings regardless of what happens in the Big Ten.

Miami and Notre Dame

That the debate for the last at-large spot should come down to Alabama and Miami is good news for Notre Dame, which is able to avoid having the loss to the Hurricanes relitigated on Selection Sunday. Miami lost twice, to Louisville and SMU, and fell short of the ACC championship game. But the Hurricanes’ case would be bolstered by a Duke win against Virginia, since they’d be the best contender from the ACC. While it’s possible, the committee will be wary of leaving out a Power Four league altogether; that’s where Miami could come into play.

Texas Tech

Beating BYU 34-7 for its first Big 12 title locks Texas Tech into one of the top four seeds and a bye through the opening round. There’s a chance the Red Raiders could earn the No. 3 seed based on what happens in the Big Ten championship game; should Indiana win, Ohio State is likely to drop two spots at most, which would keep the Red Raiders in the No. 4 spot. Looking back at the regular season, Tech has been easily one of the most dominant teams in the Power Four, losing just once — how this team lost to Arizona State is still a mystery — and beating every other opponent by at least 22 points. The Raiders beat BYU in two games by a combined 63-14 score.

Tulane

The No. 21 Green Wave beat No. 20 North Texas 34-21 on Friday night thanks to a plus-five turnover margin that yielded two defensive touchdowns and left a short field for two additional scores. That helped aid a furious 17-point second quarter capped by a short touchdown run by quarterback Jake Retzlaff as time expired in the first half. Keeping possession for over 35 minutes was huge: North Texas was sloppy but still averaged 6.1 yards per play, the most Tulane’s defense had allowed in almost a month. With the win, the Green Wave will earn the Group of Five’s one guaranteed playoff berth as either the No. 11 or No. 12 seed, depending on what happens in the ACC.

James Madison

James Madison will be in position to earn an unexpected playoff berth by taking care of Troy 31-14 on Friday night to finish an unbeaten romp through the Sun Belt. The Dukes have 12 wins to the Blue Devils’ eight and just one loss, but that loss did come to Louisville. In addition, Duke has seven Power Four wins while JMU has zero. Still, the one huge factor in the Dukes’ corner is the most recent playoff rankings. JMU was No. 25 and Duke was unranked. Does beating Virginia give the Blue Devils the boost to go from unranked with five losses to No. 24 or higher in the final rankings?

Kennesaw State

Kennesaw State beat Jacksonville State 19-15 on Friday night to take home the Conference USA championship and complete an eight-win jump from last season in coach Jerry Mack’s debut. The former Championship Subdivision power hit a speed bump in the transition to the Bowl Subdivision but is back on track under the former Tennessee assistant. Ahead 12-0 early in the fourth quarter, the Owls dropped behind 15-12 before going 75 yards on 11 plays and scoring the game-winning touchdown with 51 seconds to play.

Western Michigan

Western topped Miami (Ohio) 23-13 to capture the program’s first MAC championship since 2016 and fourth overall. The Broncos dropped three in a row out of the gate to Michigan State, North Texas and Illinois but have lost just once since, to the RedHawks in late October. Along the way, WMU beat every other MAC opponent to finish the regular season with a winning record in conference play.

Losers

The ACC

This is the most embarrassing moment for a conference in the expanded playoff era, certainly, and maybe the worst final day of the regular season for any of the current Power Four leagues in years. Because Duke won the ACC, the conference may be shut out of a playoff that is designed to avoid situations exactly like this. Basically, the playoff says the five highest-rated conference champions get automatic bids because, hey, what are the odds that one of the Power Four doesn’t grab one of those spots, right? And even if one of these leagues has an off year and falls behind, say, the American, there’s a one-spot safety net. This year, the ACC champion might’ve plummeted into sixth place among all conferences — we won’t know until the final rankings. While Duke might lose the comparison to James Madison, the good news is that Miami might save the day for the ACC. If not, tomorrow is going to be even more humiliating.

Alabama

Down 14-0 at halftime, the Tide fell behind 21-0 after three quarters and didn’t score until a Ty Simpson touchdown pass a few minutes into the fourth. Overall, Alabama gained 209 yards, had -3 yards rushing and committed one turnover, not counting a blocked punt that led to Georgia’s first score and failed two fourth-down conversions. But sloppy and ineffective play has been the story for Alabama since early November. After beating No. 24 Tennessee comfortably, the Tide barely beat South Carolina, was pedestrian against LSU, lost to No. 8 Oklahoma and needed a late score to win the Iron Bowl. Truthfully, this hasn’t looked like a playoff team for about a month. Combine an uncompetitive loss on Saturday with a sluggish home stretch to the regular season and you have the ingredients to get left out of the playoff.

Brigham Young

BYU was in the playoff with a win but will have no shot at an-at large bid with the loss. That’s a disappointing way to end another banner season for a program clearly on a rocketing trajectory under coach Kalani Sitake, who recently rebuffed overtures from Penn State in favor of a contract extension. There are good building blocks for next season on the roster and reason to think the Cougars will again be in the mix for the playoff. But this year’s team twice ran into the Texas Tech buzzsaw.

Ohio State

Not winning the Big Ten stinks, sure, but that didn’t stop the Buckeyes last year. Ohio State will drop to No. 3 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and probably finish No. 3 in the playoff rankings, too, though Texas Tech could rise and dump OSU to No. 4. In that case, the Buckeyes would still get a bye through the opening round and then face the winner of the No. 5 and No. 12 matchup before potentially drawing a rematch with the Hoosiers in the national semifinals.

North Texas

Two painful gut punches in one: First, the loss to Tulane costs North Texas a playoff trip, and two, the loss also marks the final game for Oklahoma State-bound coach Eric Morris. The Mean Green moved quickly to hire his successor in former West Virginia coach Neal Brown; that’s a strong hire and should keep North Texas as a factor in the American. But this was a special season, and special seasons don’t come around very often.

UNLV

For the third year in a row under two different coaches, UNLV reached the Mountain West championship game but came up short to Boise State. This year’s 38-21 loss was basically done at halftime and the Broncos holding a 28-14 lead, though they didn’t put the game away until a short touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. This was still a strong year for new coach Dan Mullen.

• Duke won the ACC championship with an 8-5 record.
• Despite winning a Power Four conference championship, Duke doesn’t look like it will make the playoff due to its weak resume.
• With Duke’s win, all signs point to James Madison getting a spot in the College Football Playoff field.

Bring on the College Football Playoff chaos.

Get ready for even more drama to determine who will make the 12-team field with five-loss Duke upsetting No. 16 Virginia 27-20 in overtime of the ACC championship game.

There was plenty of confusion when the regular season was over and the ACC tiebreakers determined the Blue Devils qualified for the conference championship. Even though they had non-conference losses to Illinois, Tulane and Connecticut, they were one of five teams that went 6-2 in conference play and the tiebreakers went in their favor.

It wasn’t crazy to say it felt undeserved, especially since Duke would play a Virginia team that three weeks prior, routed the Blue Devils at their own stadium.

But it was far from the same story. Duke used 15 plays and nearly 10 minutes to march down the field on its opening drive for a touchdown. Virginia scored a touchdown early in the second quarter, and Duke responded with another touchdown to take a 14-7 lead at halftime.

After both teams traded field goals in the third quarter, Duke’s defense got a key interception in Virginia’s territory with seven minutes left. The Blue Devils were able to kick a field goal to make it a two-score game, but the Cavaliers came back and tied it in the final minute to force overtime.

Duke opened overtime with the ball and on a 4th-and-goal, quarterback Darian Mensah found Jeremiah Hasley for the score. On Virginia’s first play of extra time, a trick play turned disastrous as Duke’s Luke Mergott intercepted Chandler Morris’ pass to end the game.

Can Duke make CFP after winning ACC championship

With its first outright ACC title since 1962, Duke is the conference champion of a Power Four conference, which in a usual season would be guarantee to make the playoff.

But there’s nothing guaranteed for Duke to be in the field, and it doesn’t look like the Blue Devils will be making it for the first time in school history.

Heading into Saturday, Dec. 6, Duke had a 0% chance of making the playoff, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.

Simply put, Duke being a five-loss team greatly hurts its chances. A five-loss team has never made the field, and Duke’s resume is far from ideal, with two losses to Group of Five teams. The win over Virginia in the ACC title game was its first ranked win on the season.

Duke’s win actually benefits No. 19 James Madison, which looks like it will be in the playoff as the Sun Belt champion. The Dukes − not Duke − are No. 25 in the College Football Playoff rankings, and the field is determined by the five highest-ranked conference champions and seven at-large teams. 

Duke was not ranked in the US LBM Coaches Poll or the College Football Playoff rankings going into conference championship weekend. By the end of day, the current five highest ranked conference champions are:

• No. 2 Indiana (Big Ten)
• No. 3 Georgia (SEC)
• No. 4 Texas Tech (ACC)
• No. 20 Tulane (American)
• No. 25 James Madison (Sun Belt)

The committee would have to not only have to rank Duke, but put it ahead of a James Madison team that won a conference title. It seems highly unlikely, so James Madison are expected to get the spot as the fifth and final automatic bid. Even if Duke gets in the rankings, it won’t be near the at-large conversation.

It will be a disaster for the ACC. It especially hurts when Miami started the weekend at No. 12 in the CFP and faces a slim chance of getting in as an at-large spot. If the Hurricanes don’t get in, the ACC will be a Power Four conference that fails to get any team in the playoff.

Duke can try to prove why it should be in, but it’s looking like it won’t hear it’s name called in the bracket reveal.

The No. 1-ranked UConn women’s basketball team welcomes back a legend as it returns home to face DePaul on Sunday, Dec. 7, at Gampel Pavilion.

Huskies great Sue Bird will be the third player in program history to have her jersey (No. 10) retired. She joins Rebecca Lobo (No. 50) and Swin Cash (No. 32). Bird, who won two national titles at UConn, remains the school record holder in 3-point field goal percentage (45.9) and free throw percentage (89.2).

“It should be a really fun day,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “I talked to the players about it, that it’s not often that you get to be a part of something like this. I know I’m excited about it, and hopefully they are as well.”

Bird has spent most of 2025 being honored. First, she was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in June. Then, the Storm unveiled a statue of Bird in front of Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle in August. Finally, she was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in September. 

What time is UConn vs. DePaul?

The UConn Huskies return to Gampel Pavilion to host the DePaul Blue Demons at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 7, in Storrs, Connecticut.

UConn vs. DePaul: TV, streaming

• Date: Sunday, Dec. 7
• Time: 1 p.m. ET
• Location: Gampel Pavilion (Storrs, Connecticut)
• TV: FS1
• Stream: Fubo

• Georgia just put the Big Ten on notice. It’s coming for the trophy.
• Alabama faces nervous playoff selection day. Georgia heads for CFP bye.
• Gunner Stockton wins SEC Championship MVP with steady showing.

ATLANTA – Raylen Wilson smiled like winners do.

The Georgia linebacker had just pulled himself away from the locker room, where the Bulldogs celebrated their third SEC championship in the past four seasons with a 28-7 incineration of Alabama.

We’ll rely on Wilson to be our eyes and ears. What was it like inside that Georgia locker room?

“It’s lit in that locker room right now,” Wilson said, with a grin that told the story of this night.

Georgia’s on fire.

Georgia quiets ‘naysayers’ with thumping of Alabama

Kirby Smart spoke afterward of the “naysayers,” because Georgia’s coach never misses an opportunity to remind anyone who’ll listen that his Bulldogs swim against a current of doubters.

That rally cry rings true this year, though. Smart didn’t need to invent naysayers. They existed.

Georgia looked vulnerable while surviving in overtime at Tennessee in September. It looked more middling than menacing in a loss to Alabama two weeks later. Its defense looked helpless, even in victory, against Mississippi in October.

National championships aren’t played on Halloween. Teams are allowed to get better. This one has.

“It’s a special group,” said Cole Speer, whose blocked punt set up Georgia’s first touchdown. “This group stays together, sticks together.”

Talk about an all-three-phases statement.

Let’s just call it straight: This was a boot stomping and a total repudiation of Alabama.

Alabama heads for a nerve-racking selection day. The Tide worsened their positioning. Georgia heads for a first-round playoff bye.

I can’t tell you what the betting spread would be if Georgia stepped onto the field to face Ohio State or Indiana or Texas Tech, but I’ll tell you this: I saw four teams on conference championship weekend that looked like they could win a national championship. Georgia is one of them.

Kirby Smart’s defense had Alabama in a vise

Get a load of this: Alabama finished with negative-three rushing yards.

Negative. Three.

Not Charlotte. Not Austin Peay. Not Marshall.

Alabama.

That’s how it’s going for the Tide’s run game. That’s also how it’s going for Georgia’s run defense.

“I feel like (this game) just shows you what Georgia football is all about – defense, running the football and stopping the run,” Wilson said.

Add in a quarterback this team rallies around in Gunner Stockton, and Georgia has gradually developed into a complete team. Did you see Stockton’s touchdown pass to Dillon Bell in the second quarter? That thing had some serious smoke. Big-league stuff.

“We go as he goes,” Bell said of Stockton, the game’s most valuable player, an honor bestowed after Stockton’s three touchdown passes.

Think anyone misses Carson Beck in Georgia? Not a chance.

There’s going to be a lot of chatter in the days that follow about whether the SEC championship is a relic that ought to go on the chopping block. That idea will gain steam if Alabama is left out of the College Football bracket. Smart remains a believer in this game. His players didn’t mind the conquest, or what it signified.

“The SEC is the toughest conference in college football,” Bell said. “Winning that just shows how much hard work you put in from summertime to now.”

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, who’s played in both the SEC and Big Ten, recently agreed in an interview with David Pollak with the assessment that the SEC is most consistently rugged conference.

The SEC hasn’t produced the nation’s best team the past two seasons, though, raising questions about whether the conference’s dominance is slipping in the NIL era. Will the SEC regain the throne this season? I’m still not convinced it will, but you at least could make that case with some conviction after this Georgia performance.

The naysayers are being replaced by believers.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.